The International Association for Promoting Geoethics (IAPG) is a multidisciplinary, scientific platform for widening the debate on problems of Ethics applied to Geosciences.
The IAPG is affiliated to the IUGS - International Union of Geological Sciences, AGI - American Geosciences Institute, GSA - Geological Society of America, GSL - Geological Society of London, GIRAF - Geoscience Information in Africa Network, ICPHS - International Council for Philosophy and Human Sciences

Thursday, December 28, 2017

IMPORTANT NEWS:IAPG FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR 3 ABSTRACTS ON GEOETHICS AT EGU 2018AND RFG 2018

Thanks to a donation by Martin Bohle (IAPG Board of Experts), the IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics will help to support the participation of 3 young geoscientists from low-income countries at the EGU General Assembly 2018 and RFG 2018 Conference, by covering the Abstract Processing Charge (40,00 Euros at EGU 2018 and 50,00 Canadian Dollars at RFG 2018 for each abstract). In particular, IAPG will assign:- 1 grant for the session EOS4 on Geoethics at EGU 2018 (see the call for abstracts at:http://www.geoethics.org/egu2018); - 2 grants for the sessions on geoethics RS13, RS10 or RS9 at the RFG 2018 (see the call for abstracts at: http://www.geoethics.org/rfg2018)RULES:

Martin Bohle

A) Abstracts must be sent to Martin Bohle (martin.bohle@skynet.be) and Giuseppe Di Capua (giuseppe.dicapua@ingv.it) by 6 January 2016. Authors must indicate first name, last name, date of birth, country, affiliation, email address, and in which session the abstract should be submitted.B) Giuseppe Di Capua, treasurer of the IAPG, will check the eligibility criteria (i): <=35 years at date of opening of EGU General Assembly 2018 (8/4/2018), and ii): affiliated to an institution/organization situated in a low-income country (see list of the World Bank https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519-world-bank-country-and-lending-groups).C) By 7 January 2018, Martin Bohle will rank the abstracts in view of two criteria:i) scientific quality and ii) relevance; the two criteria have equal weight; in case of a tied situation a fair gender balance within the group selected awardees will be aimed at by Martin Bohle.D) The list of applications and outcome of selection procedure will be published on the IAPG Website.E) Abstracts will be submitted and paid directly by IAPG on behalf of authors.We wait for your abstracts!Thanks again to Martin Bohle for his generous sponsorship.Please, kindly, share this announcement! Thank you.WINNERS: Yankho Naomi Kalebe (Malawi) and Patrick Bacirhonde Maheshe (Democratic Republic of Congo).Read more: http://iapgeoethics.blogspot.it/2018/01/and-winners-are.html

I would be interested in having you read through the materials I have posted there, think about how you can help move this work forward, and then share your ideas, suggestions, and links to useful applied-ethics resources. You can post your contributions to IAPG (http://www.geoethics.org) directly or through its social media outlets (facebook, linkedin, twitter, etc.). This should be a shared effort to facilitate the ethical development of our geoscience community.Facilitating the development of ethical geoscientists is the responsibility of all of us.

Thursday, December 21, 2017

IAPG sessions on geoethicsat EGU 2018 and RFG 2018

The deadline for the abstract submission is approaching!

The calls for abstracts are open and IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics (http://www.geoethics.org) invites colleagues to contribute to the international discussion on geoethics by submitting abstracts in the IAPG sessions at RFG 2018 Conference and EGU 2018 General Assembly.____________________________________________________________

EGU 2018 General Assembly(deadline for the abstract submission: 10 January 2018)Vienna, 8-13 April 2018Session EOS4: Geoethics: ethical, social and cultural implications of geoscience knowledge, education, communication, research and practice(full description at:http://www.geoethics.org/egu2018)____________________________________________________________

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Manuel Abrunhosa is the new member of the IAPG Board of Experts on Geoethics and Groundwater Management

The IAPG Board of Experts has a new member (Corresponding Citizen Scientist - CCS): Manuel João Florentino Gomes Abrunhosa.Graduated in Geology from the University of Porto (Portugal) in 1980, he obtained a Specialist degree in Hydrogeology from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in 1988.Began his professional career as a Junior Geologist in 1977, even before graduating, in a private company, working, studying and continuing to give classes of assistance to the practical works of several disciplines of his Geology course, since 1974. After acquiring shares of a company of services of Applied Geology and Hydrogeology he managed since then, directed innumerable projects aimed to the private and public sector until 2009. Also in 1981, after public exams, became a Lecturer in the Course of Geology of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, having taught theoretical and practical classes, namely Hydrogeology, Engineering Geology, and Sedimentary Petrology, oriented pedagogic internships, and did research in hydrogeology of fractured media and in the optimization of groundwater exploitation in a thin coastal sandy aquifer. His interests included Geoarchaeology with collaborations in several research groups. Out of his academy he was invited to the foundation of the first academic course in Portugal on Environmental Health and Hygiene and of to the first Master in Environmental Marketing. He has extensive experience in Forensic Geology as an expert in lawsuits and pro bono support to heritage and environmental advocacy associations. Since 2006 he is an Independent Consultant Geologist. More recently he has been appointed as member of the Board of APEQ - Portuguese Association for the Study of the Quaternary (publisher of Estudos do Quaternário / Quaternary Studies) and the Portuguese Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists. He is a member of several national and international scientific and professional associations. The ethics at the science production and practical applications of the Earth Sciences has always been a concern and a guideline for his activities, a challenge for a geologist who, being born from a school oriented to the exploitation of geological resources in what he calls back "Predatory Geology", has gradually changed his priorities to become a geoethics advocate as an environmental and social geologist.IAPG Board of Experts: http://www.geoethics.org/experts

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

New paper:Ethical Dilemmas in Geosciences.We Can Ask, but, Can We Answer?

Marone E. and Peppoloni S. (2017). Ethical Dilemmas in Geosciences. We Can Ask, but, Can We Answer? Annals of Geophysics, Vol. 60, Fast Track 7, doi: 10.4401/ag-7445.in: Peppoloni S., Di Capua G., Bobrowsky P.T., Cronin V. (eds). Geoethics at the heart of all geosciences. Annals of Geophysics, Vol. 60, Fast Track 7, 2017.Abstract:The choices of a geoscientist while carrying out his/her activity are always accompanied by ethical implications, because they can have a strong impact on the population, the natural environment, the economy, the landscape and the cultural resources of the affected area. It is not uncommon for a geoscientist to be faced with ethical dilemmas that are problems with a difficult solution, since options to solve such dilemmas will have negative consequences. How does one make a choice in these circumstances? What is the ethical duty of geoscientists and what has to be their professional attitude? In which cases do they have the duty to take action or the duty to not act (duty of omission)? A brief review of the concepts formulated by philosophers in reference to ethics can serve to provide some answers to the above questions and to understand how geoscientists can best serve society.

Monday, December 4, 2017

IAPG in the WISE Multiplier Event in Porto

Giuseppe Di Capua (IAPG Treasurer) and Iain Stewart (IAPG Board of Experts on Geoscience Education and Communication), are invited to give speeches respectively on "Geoethics: Promoting Sustainability" and "Geocommunication and Sustainability" at the WISE Multiplier Event organized by Clara Vasconcelos (co-coordinator of IAPG-Portugal). WISE is an European Project: "Widening Interdisciplinary Sustainability Education" and Clara Vasconcelos is responsible for an overview report on “Ecosystem Services, Geoethics and Biodiversity”.This event takes place at the University of Porto (Portugal) on 11 December 2017.

Friday, December 1, 2017

News about IAPG-Canada

Dr. Jan Boon has been appointed as new coordinator of IAPG-Canada. He replaces Prof. Anne Marie Ryan, who IAPG thanks for her work as first coordinator of IAPG-Canada.Currently IAPG-Canada has 40 members.

Jan Boon

Jan Boon has a Ph.D. in geochemistry. He retired in 2007 after a career that included teaching physical chemistry and research on tropical soils, oil sands research, and leadership of the Alberta Geological Survey and the Geological Survey of Canada. Since then he obtained an M.A. degree in globalization and international development and a Ph.D. degree in sociology, with his studies focusing on social responsibility in mineral exploration and mining. Most of these studies were carried out in Latin America.

He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Centre for Excellence in CSR (Canada), and has been a member of the CSR Committee and is a member of the International Affairs Committee of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada.

He currently is a member of the Environment and Social Responsibility Society of the Canadian Institute of Mining and of the Instituto de Ingenieros de Minas del Perú.